Saturday, August 31, 2013

Cold Leek & Potato Soup aka Vichyssoise

by Peg Cochran

Summer is waning, but as warm days linger into September, there's no reason not to enjoy cold soup a few more times. Vichyssoise is a classic French soup made from leeks and potatoes. Enjoy as an appetizer or make it a meal with a salad and some bread.

Chop off the dark green part of the leeks and discard. Be sure to clean the leeks thoroughly--they are gritty and full of dirt. I like to cut them in half lengthwise and rinse carefully under cold running water.4 medium leeks (or two large), washed and sliced4 potatoes peeled and sliced or cut into medium dice1 onion or 3 shallots, slicedWaterSalt and freshly ground pepper to taste1/4 cup heavy cream or milkChopped fresh chives

Put the leeks, potatoes and onion into a large pot. Add water to cover along with the salt and pepper. Cover, bring to a boil and then simmer until very tender. Puree (I used my Cuisinart) and place in bowl. (You can strain the mixture if you want to be very refined or if you're having company and don't want the odd lump of potato). Add the cream as needed to thin the mixture. Chill thoroughly. (To speed it along, put the bowl inside of another bowl filled with ice and tuck into the refrigerator.)

Taste before serving. Cold dishes often need more salt than warm ones. Sprinkle with chives and serve in chilled bowls.